CVE-2023-51740
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in Skyworth Router CM5100 allows attackers to intercept authentication credentials transmitted in plaintext over the network. By eavesdropping on network traffic, attackers can capture usernames and passwords from the web interface login page. This affects users of Skyworth Router CM5100 version 4.1.1.24.
💻 Affected Systems
- Skyworth Router CM5100
📦 What is this software?
Cm5100 Firmware by Skyworthdigital
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers gain full administrative access to the router, enabling them to reconfigure network settings, intercept all traffic, install malware, or use the router as a pivot point to attack other devices on the network.
Likely Case
Attackers capture legitimate user credentials and gain unauthorized access to the router's administrative interface, potentially changing settings or monitoring network activity.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation and monitoring, impact is limited to credential exposure, but attackers still gain access to the router's administrative interface.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires network access to intercept traffic, but no authentication is needed for eavesdropping. Attack tools for credential sniffing are widely available.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: https://www.cert-in.org.in/s2cMainServlet?pageid=PUBVLNOTES01&VLCODE=CIVN-2024-0013
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check Skyworth website for firmware updates. 2. Download updated firmware. 3. Access router admin interface. 4. Navigate to firmware update section. 5. Upload and apply new firmware. 6. Reboot router.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Use HTTPS exclusively
allForce all administrative access to use HTTPS instead of HTTP to encrypt credentials in transit.
Network segmentation
allIsolate router management interface to a dedicated VLAN with strict access controls.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Replace the router with a different model that supports encrypted authentication
- Implement network monitoring to detect credential sniffing attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Use network packet analyzer (Wireshark) to capture traffic during login. Check if username/password fields are transmitted in plaintext.Check Version:
Login to router web interface and check firmware version in system settings.Verify Fix Applied:
Repeat packet capture after fix. Verify credentials are now encrypted (HTTPS/TLS).📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple failed login attempts from unusual IPs
- Configuration changes from unexpected sources
Network Indicators:
- Unencrypted HTTP POST requests containing login credentials
- ARP spoofing or other man-in-the-middle attack indicators
SIEM Query:
source="router_logs" AND (event="login_failure" OR event="config_change") | stats count by src_ip